Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 309 PM EST Wed Jan 16 2019 Valid 00Z Thu Jan 17 2019 - 00Z Sat Jan 19 2019 ...Major winter storm for California Wednesday and Thursday... ...Cold across the northern tier of the nation with a winter storm developing later this week and into the weekend... As a large system approaches California and moves inland, a major winter storm will develop especially across the Sierra Nevada. Blizzard conditions will be possible especially over 6500 feet with 2 to 4 feet, with 6 feet of snow expected in the peaks, of snow expected in this mountain range. Blizzard warnings have been issued and will be in effect through Thursday afternoon--with winter storm warnings for areas above 5500 feet being in effect through Friday morning. In addition to the heavy snow, heavy rain will also impact along the coast of California. Most of this rainfall will occur through tomorrow evening. A moderate risk of rainfall has been issued for a small area in southern California particularly where the burn scars are in the Los Angeles region. Precipitation will begin to wind down by Thursday night and into Friday morning as the frontal system progresses farther inland. Unsettled weather may bring a possible winter storm tracking from the Midwest to the Northeast Friday through Sunday. In the stormâ€s wake, bitter cold temperatures will overtake a large part of the central and eastern U.S. In fact, the northern Plains will have high temperatures staying below zero on Friday--which is nearly 25 degrees below normal! Freezing rain, heavy snow, along with heavy rain is expected along its path through the central and eastern U.S. over the weekend. Heavy snow will begin by Friday evening in the central Plains and progress eastward by the weekend. See WPC's winter weather products and discussion for more information on this system. Reinhart/Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php